This application claims the benefit of Japanese Application No. 10-56470, filed in Japan on Mar. 9, 1998, which is hereby incorporated by reference.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a hologram film and method for manufacturing the same, and more particularly, to a hologram film having identification information or the like thereon and a method for manufacturing the same.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Conventionally, in forming multiple duplicates of a master hologram on a recording tape (which is to be wound up on a roller, for example), each duplication has been performed by the steps of contacting the recording film with a master hologram plate and exposing it to laser radiation to induce interference between the incident laser light and diffraction light diffracted from the master plate in the corresponding region of the recording film. As a result, a plurality of duplicated holograms are formed in the recording tape at a fixed interval or at variable intervals. Such a hologram tape is utilized as is, or is cut out to produce separate hologram films each having one or more of duplicated holograms.
To identify or distinguish the duplicated hologram pattern, it is necessary to print identification information or the like, such as a serial number, identification pattern, etc., adjacent each hologram. To print such information on the hologram tape (or each of the separated hologram films), an additional printing process has been required in the conventional method.
Although Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 7-43077 describes a technique for recording additional holographic detection marks for the purpose of using in post-processing, if information specific to the individual hologram pattern, such as a serial number, identification pattern, etc., is to be printed adjacent the corresponding hologram pattern, it was unavoidable to have a separate printing or like process in addition to the hologram duplication process. Further, when such information is optically printed, a separate light source is necessary, as described in Japanese Patent Application No. 3-5555. Thus, the conventional method has drawbacks of a poor throughput and a higher cost due to complexities introduced by the additional step and equipment. Accordingly, it has been long desired to develop a simple and easily controllable method for printing such identification information on a hologram tape (or individual hologram film).
Accordingly, the present invention is directed to a hologram film having identification information recorded thereon and a method for manufacturing the same that substantially obviate the problems due to limitations and disadvantages of the related art.
An object of the present invention is to provide a method for manufacturing a hologram tape having a plurality of duplicated holograms recorded thereon at a fixed interval or at variable intervals, each of the holograms in the hologram tape being accompanied by identification information printed adjacent thereto.
Another aspect of the present invention is to provide a method for manufacturing a hologram film having a hologram duplicated from a master hologram, the hologram film further having identification information printed adjacent thereto.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a hologram tape having a plurality of duplicated holograms recorded thereon at a fixed interval or at variable intervals, each of the holograms in the hologram tape being accompanied by identification information printed adjacent thereto.
A further aspect of the present invention is to provide a hologram film having a hologram duplicated from a master hologram, the hologram film further having identification information printed adjacent thereto.
Additional features and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description that follows, and in part will be apparent from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objectives and other advantages of the invention will be realized and attained by the structure particularly pointed out in the written description and claims hereof as well as the appended drawings.
To achieve these and other advantages and in accordance with the purpose of the present invention, as embodied and broadly described, the present invention provides a hologram film including a hologram recording film; a main-hologram formed in the hologram recording film; and a sub-hologram formed in the hologram recording film adjacent to the main-hologram, the sub-hologram indicating information substantially specific to the hologram film.
In another aspect, the present invention provides a hologram tape including a hologram recording tape; a plurality of duplicated main-holograms formed in the hologram recording tape at a predetermined interval; and a plurality of sub-holograms formed in the hologram recording tape, each of the sub-holograms being disposed adjacent the respective one of the main-holograms, each sub-hologram indicating information substantially specific to the adjacent hologram.
In another aspect, the present invention provides a method for manufacturing a hologram film having a duplicate of a master hologram and identification information substantially specific to the duplicate, the method including the steps of providing a hologram recording film; positioning a master hologram plate adjacent the hologram recording film so as to produce an interference pattern in the hologram recording film under irradiation of laser light, the master hologram plate having the master hologram and an optical element thereon, the optical element being for use in printing the identification information on the hologram recording film; and printing the duplicate of the master hologram and the identification information in the hologram recording film, the master hologram being duplicated in the hologram recording film by irradiating the master hologram plate with the laser light, the identification information being printed on the hologram recording film via the optical element on the master hologram plate.
In another aspect, the present invention provides a method for manufacturing a hologram film, the method including the steps of coupling a hologram recording film with a master hologram plate having a master hologram, the master hologram plate having a reflective area adjacent the master hologram; and directing laser beams towards the master hologram plate to induce interference between incident laser light and diffraction laser light from the master hologram in the recording film, at least some of the laser beams radiating the reflective area through a transmission type controllable display device to record a pattern in the hologram recording film corresponding to a pattern displayed at the transmission type controllable display device.
In a further aspect, the present invention provides a method for manufacturing a hologram film, the method including the steps of coupling a hologram recording film with a master hologram plate having a master hologram, the master hologram plate having a reflection type controllable display device adjacent the master hologram; and directing laser beams towards the master hologram plate to induce interference between incident laser light and diffraction laser light from the master hologram in the recording film, at least some of the laser beams radiating the reflection type controllable display device so as to record a pattern in the hologram recording film corresponding to a pattern displayed at the reflection type controllable display device.
It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory and are intended to provide further explanation of the invention as claimed.
The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the invention and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and together with the description serve to explain the principles of the invention.